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Michigan State Football: Bret Beielema emerging potential HC candidate

By Connor Muldowney

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - SEPTEMBER 30: Head Coach Bret Bielem of the Arkansas Razorbacks on the sidelines during a game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Aggies 42-24. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - SEPTEMBER 30: Head Coach Bret Bielem of the Arkansas Razorbacks on the sidelines during a game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Aggies 42-24. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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After missing out on Luke Fickell, Michigan State football must set its sights on a different option. Rumor has it Bret Bielema is interested.

Worst-case scenario has happened. Michigan State swung for the fences with Luke Fickell and ended up not only whiffing but hitting itself in the head with the bat on the follow-through.

It’s been quite the morning for Michigan State fans, waking up to the news that Fickell would not be coming and he chose to remain at Cincinnati for a lot less money. He turned down a job that Mark Dantonio claimed people would “crawl to” in his retirement presser.

Michigan State is on the verge of some very dark days, especially if it goes the interim route which seems likely with Mike Tressel.

But there seems to be a new candidate who has entered the mix and it’s a familiar name for Spartan fans. According to Rainer Sabin of the Freep, Bret Bielema has ‘definite interest’ in the Michigan State job after spending some time in the NFL with the Patriots and the Giants.

The former Wisconsin coach had a very successful run in Madison, going 68-24 in seven seasons with the Badgers. He stunned everyone, though, when he left Wisconsin for the head coaching job at Arkansas, claiming that the SEC was the best conference in the country. It wasn’t even a lateral move, it was actually a step back.

During his time at Arkansas, he went 29-34 and made three bowl games in five years. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was only 11-29 in conference play.

Bielema always came off as an out-there coach with a big personality and that might ruffle Michigan State fans’ feathers if this comes to fruition.

There’s no word on whether or not Michigan State would entertain him as a possibility as the next head coach, but it might just be safer to have Tressel coach the 2020 season and then move forward in the coaching search next year.

Next. 5 potential replacements for Mark Dantonio. dark

Bielema can win in the Big Ten as he’s shown in the past, but he’s been out of the college game for three years now. This would be a head-scratching move.

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